The most common low-cost package used by the semiconductor industry is a so-called "dual-in-line plastic package", called DIP. The cost of this package is very low, but for radio frequency (RF) applications an inherent package limitation is the extent to which a signal on one pin can be isolated from any of the other pins. This performance parameter is referred to as "crosstalk". A typical DIP has 76 dB of crosstalk isolation measured at 10 MHz. This is inadequate for many RF applications such as video switching.
For RF applications such as video switching, ceramic packages are commonly used. The ceramic packages consist of a ceramic base into which the integrated circuit chip can be fitted, with slots for the leads to extend therefrom, and with a metal lid which can be assembled over the chip. In this configuration crosstalk isolation of 80 dB or better can be achieved, but the cost of these packages is typically ten times the cost of a DIP package.